Carnaval In Quebec

French-accented Festival Fills Frigid Days With Fun

It's cold at Carnaval de Quebec, the frosty 17-day festival that revels in the wintry delights of Quebec City. The average low temperature for February is 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

But there's a warm welcome to be found at this French-tinged celebration of ice palaces and snow sculptures, commencing this year -- its 50th -- on Jan. 30.

The carnival's roots reach back to 1894, when the chilly populace sought to dispel what must have been a particularly miserable case of the winter blues. But it was not until 1955 that it became an annual affair, courtesy of local merchants' looking to find money in the frozen landscape.

And so they did. Every year, nearly 1 million people visit the carnival. The budget has grown to $7 million, but organizers say it brings in four times that in economic spinoffs. Promoters call it the largest winter carnival in the world.

The city knows the value of a good party, and it is a gracious host. My wife and I attended opening weekend last year and found a largely family-oriented affair that offered enough events and attractions to fill a weekend and more; a European-style city that has charms well worth discovering, carnival aside; and merchants, restaurateurs and carnival staff who welcomed you in French but, despite what you might have heard, seemed happy to switch to English if you looked like you needed it. (A good third of visitors are from outside this predominantly French-speaking region.)

We arrived Friday night, staying at the Manoir Victoria on Rue St. Jean, a snowball's throw from the opening ceremonies down the street.

Dinner at the hotel restaurant was remarkable for its savory French cuisine, which we found delightful no matter where we ate. We strolled to the opening ceremonies just after the fireworks display but in plenty of time for a street dance in full swing, geared to older teens and 20-somethings. The party took place atop a covered ice rink at Place Hydro-Quebec, one of the prime venues.

Other nights, you can rent skates and glide across the rink, bathed in blue light, to recorded music, surrounded by a Christmasy scene of an old village square. Images of giant spinning snowflakes are projected on the ice. Another projected image, of the carnival mascot, Bonhomme [ba-NOME], dances along a section of the great fortress-like wall that rings Old Quebec.

And a formidable wall it is, about 3 miles long, with five dramatic gates that give access to the old city. The British built or rebuilt the walls to guard against invasion by Americans; now it's part of a historical legacy that helps bring them, and other visitors, in.

Bonhomme is a sort of lord ruler over the carnival. This goodwill ambassador -- he looks like a cross between the Michelin Man and the Stay Puft Marshallow Man of ``Ghostbusters'' -- roams the old city, posing for snapshots and turning up at the major parades and ceremonies. His striped, fringed belt is an accessory of choice for visitors and merchants throughout Quebec City, and shows up on many a store shelf.

Bonhomme's likeness is on the official carnival pass, a $7 (Canadian) tag you wear to guarantee entrance to many of the attractions.

The next morning we walked to the snowy heart of the carnival across town, at a battlefield park called the Plains of Abraham. For the carnival, it's a winter amusement park.

Visitors enter via a walkway flanked by huge blocks of snow awaiting sculpting teams to carve them into marvels of ingenuity and engineering. Last year, there were 134 sculptors from 15 countries, Kenya among them.

The walkway leads to an expanse filled with rides, children's activities and the like. Bands and singing groups perform from outdoor stages. There's an ice-fishing booth for kids, a giant foosball game, an igloo to explore, dog-handler demonstrations, a child-size ice fortress with a frozen slide (and the longest waiting line we saw all weekend) and ``slippery slopes'' sled rides. Parents drag their bundled toddlers around in pint-size plastic sleds that are harder to spot than strollers, so watch your step.

Snow-raft rides cost $1.25 for adults, 75 cents for children. Some rafts look like inflatable boats, some like supersized snow tubes. Snowmobiles wait at the bottom of the hill to ferry the empties back up.

Outside, across from the stately Quebec Parliament, is the Ice Palace of Bonhomme. It takes on different configurations from year to year. In 2003, it comprised 6,500 ice blocks weighing 75 pounds each. This year promises to be bigger, 6,600 blocks. It's open all day but takes on a magical air at night, with colored lights shimmering through the walls.